How much is the CDBS benefit worth?

CDBS provides a total benefit of $1,095 per eligible child over a two calendar year period. The cap is per child, not per family, so each eligible child has their own $1,095 allowance. Unused balance does not roll over to the next two-year cycle. When the new cycle begins on 1 January, the balance resets to $1,095 regardless of how much was used previously.

What does CDBS cover and what is excluded?

CDBS covers basic dental services including examinations, X-rays, cleans, fluoride treatments, fissure sealants, fillings, root canal treatment, extractions and partial dentures. It does not cover orthodontic treatment (braces or Invisalign), cosmetic dentistry (whitening, veneers), dental implants, crowns or bridges, or any treatment provided in a hospital setting. If your child needs treatment beyond what CDBS covers, we will explain the options and costs before anything is booked.

How do I find a CDBS bulk billing dentist near me in Western Sydney?

Not every dentist bulk bills CDBS. You need a participating practice that accepts direct assignment of the Medicare benefit. Serene Family Dental in Ropes Crossing bulk bills all eligible CDBS treatment, so families from Penrith, St Marys, Jordan Springs, Kingswood, Mount Druitt, Blacktown and Glenmore Park can access no-gap children's dental care with us. Call (02) 9053 1995 and we will confirm eligibility before your visit.

Does Medicare cover dental for children in Australia?

Medicare does not cover general dental care for adults, but it does fund CDBS for eligible children aged 0 to 17. Outside of CDBS, some public dental clinics run by NSW Health offer subsidised care for concession card holders, though waiting lists are long. For most families the quickest route to free basic dental care for children is CDBS through a participating bulk billing practice.

What do I need to bring to my child's CDBS appointment?

Bring your Medicare card (your child must be listed on it), photo ID for the parent or guardian signing the consent form, and any previous dental records or X-rays if you have them. If you are unsure whether your child is eligible, bring your Centrelink Customer Reference Number as well and we will check everything before the appointment begins. A parent or guardian needs to be present for children under 18.

Can CDBS be used for orthodontic treatment like Invisalign or braces?

No. CDBS specifically excludes orthodontic treatment. Braces, Invisalign and other clear aligner programs are not covered, even if your child is otherwise eligible. Some private health funds offer orthodontic extras cover with a lifetime limit (typically $1,500 to $3,000), and we offer payment plans through Afterpay, humm and Denticare for families who need to spread orthodontic fees across months.

What happens if my child needs treatment that goes beyond the $1,095 CDBS cap?

Once the $1,095 limit is used within the two-year period, further dental care for that child is no longer bulk billed under CDBS. Any additional work becomes a private fee, which you can pay out of pocket, claim through private health extras cover, or spread across a payment plan. At Serene Family Dental we will always tell you before you reach the cap so there are no surprise bills, and we will stage non-urgent treatment into the next CDBS cycle where it is clinically safe to do so.

CDBS Explained 2026 | Child Dental Benefits Western Sydney | Serene Family Dental

Q: Who is eligible for CDBS in 2026?

A child is eligible for CDBS if they are aged 0 to 17 for at least one day in the calendar year, are enrolled in Medicare, and their family receives Family Tax Benefit Part A or another qualifying Australian Government payment (such as Parenting Payment, Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or a Carer Payment) for at least part of the year. Services Australia automatically checks eligibility each year. You can confirm your child's status through your myGov account or by calling us on (02) 9053 1995 and we will check it on the spot using your Medicare card.

Q: Does Serene Family Dental bulk bill CDBS?

Yes. Serene Family Dental is a Medicare-approved CDBS provider and we bulk bill all eligible children for covered treatment. That means zero out-of-pocket cost for check-ups, X-rays, cleans, fillings, fissure sealants, root canals and extractions - up to the $1,095 cap per child per two-year period. We are AHPRA registered, HICAPS enabled for private health claims, and we process the Medicare claim for you on the day so you do not have to deal with any paperwork.

If you are a parent in Western Sydney wondering whether your child can get free dental care through Medicare, the answer is often yes - thanks to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). This federal program covers up to $1,095 of basic dental treatment per eligible child over a two calendar year period, and at bulk billing practices like Serene Family Dental in Ropes Crossing, there is no out-of-pocket cost for covered work. This guide explains who qualifies, what CDBS pays for, how to check eligibility, and exactly what happens when you bring your child in for a bulk billed appointment.

What Is the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS)?

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule is a Medicare-funded program administered by Services Australia. It was introduced in 2014 to make sure children from low and middle-income families can access essential dental care without the fees becoming a barrier. CDBS is one of the only areas where Medicare directly pays for dental work in Australia - most adult dental care is not covered by Medicare at all.

The program is designed around prevention and basic treatment. The idea is that a child who sees a dentist regularly and gets small problems fixed early will not need expensive treatment later in life. CDBS covers the check-ups, X-rays, cleans, fillings and other basic services that keep decay and gum disease under control. It does not cover orthodontic work, cosmetic treatment, or any dental care provided in a hospital setting.

CDBS has been extended several times since it launched, and it remains in place for 2026. Each eligible child receives a capped benefit of $1,095 over a two calendar year period, paid directly to a participating dentist when the service is provided. At bulk billing practices, the family pays nothing.

Who Is Eligible for CDBS in 2026?

Eligibility is checked automatically by Services Australia each year, but there are three key requirements a child must meet:

1. Age. The child must be aged between 0 and 17 for at least one day in the calendar year. A child who turns 18 during the year is still eligible for that year until their birthday.

2. Medicare enrolment. The child must be enrolled in Medicare. Almost all Australian-born children are automatically enrolled at birth - if your child is not on Medicare yet, you can enrol them through Services Australia.

3. Qualifying payment. The family must receive Family Tax Benefit Part A (FTB-A) or another qualifying Australian Government payment for at least part of the calendar year. Qualifying payments include:

Family Tax Benefit Part A
Parenting Payment
Double Orphan Pension
Carer Payment
Youth Allowance (if the child receives it directly)
ABSTUDY Living Allowance
Disability Support Pension
Special Benefit
Veterans' Children Education Scheme or Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme

If your family receives any of these payments, your child is almost certainly eligible.

How to Check Eligibility in 60 Seconds

The fastest ways to confirm your child qualifies for CDBS in 2026:

myGov account. Log in to myGov, open Medicare, and look for the CDBS eligibility status under your child's record. Services Australia lists the current remaining balance here too.
Express Plus Medicare app. The app shows CDBS eligibility on each child's profile.
Services Australia phone line. Call 132 011 and ask for CDBS eligibility.
Call Serene Family Dental on (02) 9053 1995. We can check eligibility on the spot using your Medicare card through the Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) portal. There is no obligation and it takes under a minute.

What Does CDBS Cover? (and What It Doesn't)

One of the biggest myths about CDBS is that it covers "everything a child's teeth need." It does not. CDBS is deliberately focused on basic dental services - the things that prevent decay, catch problems early, and fix small issues before they become big ones. Here is a clear side-by-side of what is in and what is out.

Covered by CDBS	Not Covered by CDBS
Comprehensive oral examinations	Orthodontic treatment (braces, Invisalign, clear aligners)
Scale and clean	Cosmetic dentistry (whitening, veneers)
X-rays (bitewings, OPG where clinically needed)	Dental implants
Fluoride treatment	Porcelain crowns
Fissure sealants	Bridges
Composite (tooth-coloured) fillings	General anaesthetic for in-chair dental work
Root canal treatment	Any treatment provided in a hospital
Extractions (simple)	Sedation dentistry (in most cases)
Partial dentures	Sports mouthguards (varies by state)

If your child needs treatment that falls outside CDBS, we will always explain the options and costs before we start anything. There are no surprise bills - you know exactly what is covered and what is not before consenting to treatment.

How Much Is the CDBS Benefit?

The CDBS benefit is capped at $1,095 per eligible child over two consecutive calendar years. Here is what that actually means in practice:

Per child, not per family. Each eligible child has their own $1,095 allowance. A family with three eligible children has $3,285 in total CDBS benefits available each two-year cycle.
Two calendar years, not a rolling 24 months. The benefit period runs in calendar year pairs. For most children, the current cycle is 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026.
Unused balance does not roll over. If your child only uses $400 of the $1,095 by the end of the cycle, the remaining $695 is lost. The balance resets to $1,095 at the start of the next cycle on 1 January, regardless of how much was used previously.

This is why it pays to book your child's check-up early in the cycle, rather than waiting until December and trying to squeeze everything in before the cut-off. A 6-month routine visit pattern uses the CDBS benefit predictably across the full two years.

How to Use CDBS at a Western Sydney Dentist

The process for using CDBS at a participating bulk billing practice is straightforward:

Step 1: Confirm eligibility. Either check your myGov account or call us on (02) 9053 1995 and we will check eligibility for you using your child's Medicare card.

Step 2: Book a participating dentist. Not every practice bulk bills CDBS. You need one that accepts "direct assignment" of the Medicare benefit, meaning Medicare pays them directly and there is no gap for you. Serene Family Dental is a Medicare-approved CDBS provider and bulk bills all eligible children.

Step 3: Bring the right paperwork. On the day, bring your Medicare card (with your child listed), photo ID for the parent or guardian, and any previous dental records or X-rays if you have them. A parent or guardian must be present for patients under 18.

Step 4: Sign the consent form. Before treatment, you sign a standard CDBS direct-assignment consent form. This authorises us to claim the Medicare benefit on your behalf.

Step 5: We do the paperwork. We submit the claim to Medicare on the day. You do not fill in anything, you do not pay anything, and you do not need to chase a rebate afterwards. The benefit is processed behind the scenes.

Bulk Billing CDBS at Serene Family Dental, Ropes Crossing

Serene Family Dental is a Medicare-approved CDBS provider and we bulk bill all eligible children for covered treatment. That means:

Zero out-of-pocket cost for check-ups, cleans, X-rays, fluoride, fissure sealants, fillings, root canals and simple extractions, up to the $1,095 two-year cap.
One appointment handles it all. We do the eligibility check, the treatment, the claim, and the paperwork in a single visit.
AHPRA registered clinicians with experience treating anxious and first-time paediatric patients.
HICAPS enabled for any private health fund claims on top (for example, if your child is also on an extras policy).
Gentle, child-friendly approach. First visits for young children are often short, low-pressure, and focused on making the chair feel familiar rather than on heavy treatment.

We regularly see CDBS families from across Western Sydney including Penrith, St Marys, Jordan Springs, Kingswood, Mount Druitt, Blacktown, Glenmore Park and Ropes Crossing. Our location off Ropes Crossing Boulevard has on-site parking, a short walk from the Ropes Crossing Village shops, and is a 5 to 20 minute drive from most Penrith LGA suburbs.

If you are comparing local options, you may also find our bulk billing dentist Western Sydney guide useful - it explains how bulk billing works across different Medicare dental programs and lists the suburbs we serve.

What Happens If My Child Needs Treatment Beyond CDBS?

Sometimes a child needs treatment that is not covered by CDBS, or the $1,095 cap has already been used for the current cycle. In those situations, we will:

Tell you upfront before any work starts, so you can decide whether to proceed, defer, or stage treatment.
Itemise the private fee in writing so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
Check your private health fund cover through HICAPS if you have children's extras cover. Many family policies include general dental that covers children.
Offer payment plans through Afterpay, humm and Denticare for larger treatment that cannot wait. This splits the fee into weekly or fortnightly instalments without up-front interest.
Stage non-urgent work into the next CDBS cycle where clinically safe, so the benefit resets and more treatment can be bulk billed.

If you would like a feel for realistic private dental fees in 2026 (for treatment beyond CDBS), our recent dentist cost Australia guide has a full price table covering check-ups, fillings, crowns, root canals, implants, Invisalign and more.

You can also learn more about our general paediatric care on our children's dentistry service page, or read the official CDBS overview on our CDBS bulk billing service page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CDBS? The Child Dental Benefits Schedule is a Medicare-funded program that provides up to $1,095 of basic dental care over two calendar years for eligible children aged 0 to 17. It is administered by Services Australia and claimed directly through participating dentists.

Who qualifies for CDBS? Children aged 0 to 17 who are enrolled in Medicare and whose family receives Family Tax Benefit Part A (or another qualifying payment like Parenting Payment, Carer Payment, Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY) for at least part of the calendar year. Eligibility is checked automatically each year by Services Australia.

How much does CDBS cover? $1,095 per eligible child over a two calendar year period. Unused balance does not carry over - it resets to $1,095 at the start of each new two-year cycle.

What does CDBS pay for? Check-ups, cleans, X-rays, fluoride, fissure sealants, fillings, root canals, simple extractions, and partial dentures. It does not cover orthodontic or cosmetic work, dental implants, crowns, bridges, or in-hospital dental treatment.

How do I check if my child is eligible? Log into myGov and open your Medicare section, use the Express Plus Medicare app, call Services Australia on 132 011, or ring Serene Family Dental on (02) 9053 1995 and we will check on the spot using your Medicare card.

Does Serene Family Dental bulk bill CDBS? Yes. We are a Medicare-approved CDBS provider and bulk bill all eligible children for covered treatment. There is no out-of-pocket cost and no paperwork for you - we submit the claim to Medicare on the day.

Can I use CDBS for braces or Invisalign? No. Orthodontic treatment is specifically excluded from CDBS. We offer payment plans through Afterpay, humm and Denticare for orthodontic fees, and many private health extras policies contribute toward orthodontic work.

What suburbs do you serve for CDBS appointments? We regularly see CDBS families from Penrith, St Marys, Jordan Springs, Kingswood, Mount Druitt, Blacktown, Glenmore Park and of course Ropes Crossing. We are a short drive from most of the Penrith LGA.

What do I bring to the appointment? Your Medicare card (with your child listed), photo ID for the parent or guardian, and previous dental records or X-rays if you have them. A parent or guardian must be present for patients under 18.

What if the $1,095 runs out? Any further treatment in the current cycle becomes a private fee. We will always tell you before you reach the cap so there are no surprises, and we can stage non-urgent work into the next cycle where clinically safe.

Book Your Child's CDBS Appointment

Not sure if your child qualifies? Call us on (02) 9053 1995 and we will check your Medicare eligibility on the spot - no obligation, no paperwork on your end. If you already know your child is eligible, book online at /book.html and pick a time that suits the family.

Serene Family Dental is in Ropes Crossing, a short drive from Penrith, St Marys, Jordan Springs, Kingswood, Mount Druitt, Blacktown and Glenmore Park. We are AHPRA registered, HICAPS enabled, and a Medicare-approved CDBS bulk billing provider. Your child's dental care should never be something you have to stress about paying for - that is what CDBS is for, and that is why we bulk bill.

Ready to book? Request your child's appointment online or call (02) 9053 1995. We will confirm your time within one business day.

CDBS Child Dental Benefits Schedule Explained - 2026 Guide for Western Sydney Parents